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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 124 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  2. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  3. Don't do anything ________________.
  4. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  5. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  6. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  7. I'll be taking the ________________.
  8. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  9. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  10. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  11. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  12. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  13. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  14. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  15. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  16. We're on a ________________ here.
  17. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  18. Did you ________________ the button?
  19. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  20. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  21. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  22. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  23. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  24. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. rash — a series
  2. roll — a list
  3. rash — hasty
  4. patient — a sick person
  5. press — newspapers
  6. craft — a skill
  7. tube — the underground
  8. ruler — for measuring
  9. ruler — a monarch
  10. press — a publisher
  11. rash — on the skin
  12. patient — calm and waiting
  13. wind — to turn a key
  14. ruler — for measuring
  15. wind — moving air
  16. roll — on a roll
  17. tube — in a tire
  18. press — to push
  19. roll — a cake
  20. patient — a sick person
  21. craft — a handicraft
  22. tube — a container
  23. wind — moving air
  24. craft — boats

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com